Committing to scale computer science and computational thinking looks different in every community. Throughout the League of Innovative Schools, districts are taking a range of steps to demonstrate this commitment and improve student learning.

Talladega County Schools is partnering with the Alabama Math, Science, and Technology Initiative (AMSTI) to deepen teachers’ content knowledge in STEM education and promote strong pedagogical and technological skills for student instruction.

Richland School District Two will launch summer classes in high school credit CS and coding instruction in summer 2017 to compensate for limited teacher-led instruction during the traditional school year.

Forging meaningful partnerships with institutions of higher education

Albemarle County Public Schools and Charlottesville City Schools are creating opportunities for students to earn dual-enrollment credit in CS, as well as graduate with industry-recognized IT certificates, through a partnership with the area technical education center, Cisco, and Piedmont Virginia Community College.

South Fayette Township School District, in partnership with the University of Pittsburgh Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence, will begin planning for a student accelerator for public education to strengthen the district’s existing K-12 pathway for computational thinking and CS.

Mineola Union Free School District obtained commitments from Queensboro Community College and technology company CORE BTS to provide high school students the ability to earn a Certificate in Internet and Information Technology (32 credits) at no cost to the student.

Coordinating with the private sector

Baltimore County Public Schools will begin offering a full K-5 CS immersion program in two magnet schools with Code to the Future. Additionally, the district will introduce students in grades 6-8 to coding in a variety of languages such as HTML, Python, LEGO Mindstorms, Alice, and Scratch.

Highline Public Schools is in the early stages of developing CS opportunities for all students through partnerships with organizations like Code.org, Girls Who Code, Google, and Microsoft. All K-6 students engage in the Hour of Code, and students in grades 7-12 have access to CS opportunities, both during and outside of the traditional school day.

Lincoln Public Schools, a K-5 partner district of Code.org, will teach CS Fundamentals in all 39 of its elementary schools during the 2016-2017 school year, reaching nearly 19,000 students.

Reynoldsburg City Schools has three teachers selected to pilot Code.org’s new CS Discoveries program, designed to transition middle school students from block-based coding to typed code at their own pace.

Freehold Regional High School District, with the help of a grant from the New Jersey Department of Education, will build a careers pathways program in CS. In addition to providing equipment, the district will redesign learning spaces to reflect real-world CS workplaces, foster community partnerships, and grow the current pool of CS students.

Kettle Moraine School District will give high school students the opportunity to receive competency-based instruction in a pathway model that allows students to earn between 0.5 to 3 credits per semester, based on demonstrated proficiency in CS.

Vista Unified School District is committed to reducing course equity gaps by providing CS offerings at every grade level. As part of this commitment, all elementary students will receive thirty minutes of coding instruction per week over a 24-week period, and all high school students will have access to the AP CS Principles course.

Indian Prairie School District will expand the integration of CS principles in applicable coursework in seven middle schools and 21 elementary schools.

To learn more about President Obama’s call to action for #CSforAll, and work of districts and organizations throughout the country, click here.